Douluo: Glory of the Unrivaled Angel

Word Count: 2,799 Words

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"You ask me if there's something I want to tell you..."

Having devoured over a thousand spirit rings at once—including a 30,000-year Pink Queen—Ling Bai's spirit power had soared in a short time. But now, as the surge of spirit power receded like a tide, he was plunged into incomparable agony. His skin cracked all over, capillaries ruptured and spurted blood, and the entire world before his eyes seemed to spin.

"Elder Sister, what do you think I have left to say? Haven't you seen it all?"

Ling Bai suddenly began to laugh; his blood-stained clothes trembled with his laughter. He laughed without restraint, yet Han Ruoruo sensed within that laughter a hint of helplessness and pain. Pursing her somewhat dry lips, she said with difficulty:

"Mm, I saw it and still find it hard to believe. So you have Twin Martial Spirits.

And your second Martial Spirit is... an Evil Martial Spirit."

"Quite ironic, isn't it? The Martial Spirit that coexists with the Seraphim, executor of justice in the human world, turns out to be an Evil Martial Spirit capable of devouring flesh, blood, and souls.

That day in the Inner Courtyard's library, I scoured records of Evil Spirit Masters spanning ten thousand years of the Douluo Continent's history, yet I couldn't find an Evil Martial Spirit more greedy and bloodthirsty than the Death Abyss Spider Emperor."

Ling Bai raised his left hand—the one that housed the Death Abyss Demon Scythe. The distinct joints on the back of his hand were like a work of art carved from white jade, and under the sunlight pouring from the sky, it seemed as if one could see purple-black blood flowing through his veins.

"No wonder you asked me such a strange question that day in the library."

Han Ruoruo weakly lowered her head, her eyes slowly closing, though her constantly trembling eyelashes betrayed her chaotic and conflicted emotions.

She was an elite of Shrek Academy's Inner Courtyard, a member of the Shrek Guardians, bearing the responsibility of eradicating all Evil Spirit Masters in the world and maintaining order on the Douluo Continent. Yet, when it came to Ling Bai, she felt utterly conflicted.

The eleven months since Ling Bai's enrollment had been her happiest time since joining the Inner Courtyard—finally, she had someone who shared her interests, someone willing to accompany her to the library to read ancient books, someone willing to have breakfast with her in rain or shine…

At first, calling him 'Little Junior Brother' had been just a joke, but as time passed, she truly acknowledged him as her little junior brother.

"So what does Elder Sister plan to do? Report this to Shrek Academy?"

Ling Bai, showing no self-awareness of being an Evil Spirit Master, looked leisurely at Han Ruoruo, as though eagerly awaiting her decision.

"I..."

Han Ruoruo's heart was a tangled mess. Based solely on the Death Abyss Spider Emperor's Ultimate Talent, 'Soul Devouring,' if Ling Bai were to repeat what he did to the Pink Lady swarm dozens of times, he would undoubtedly break through to Rank 90 within three years, becoming an Evil Spirit Master Titled Douluo wreaking havoc across the continent.

Reason told her there was no need to report this to the academy at all; she should instead take advantage of his weakened state and strike a fatal blow, eliminating a huge threat to the continent in advance.

Yet her emotions prevented her from doing so. If not for saving her, Ling Bai would never have exposed the Death Abyss Spider Emperor. Possessing the continent's most holy Martial Spirit—the Seraphim—even if Shrek Academy suspected someone of being an Evil Spirit Master, they would never suspect Ling Bai. They might even hold his hand with hopeful faces and say earnestly:

Child, the bright future of the continent depends on you to protect it!

Han Ruoruo's chest rose and fell slightly as she fought to maintain an expressionless face and regulate her breathing. Her mind spun frantically, searching for a perfect solution that would betray neither the academy nor him.

"Hmm?"

She noticed Ling Bai persistently staring at her. Realizing he had completely seen through her emotional changes, her expression suddenly turned colder.

That act of anger borne out of embarrassment, in Ling Bai's eyes, was nothing but a poor attempt at concealment. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at, you little rascal! Do you have no conscience?" Han Ruoruo glared angrily.

"What's wrong? Evil Spirit Masters can laugh too, you know."

Ling Bai felt that Han Ruoruo was inexplicably like a meticulous little puppy, seriously contemplating an extremely grave issue, trying to find what she considered the perfect solution.

His attitude remained calm from beginning to end. When her first three words were 'Little Junior Brother,' he had already understood—the heinous Evil Spirit Master had completely gotten the pure and kind Elder Sister under his thumb.

"Let me ask you something."

After a long pause, Han Ruoruo finally made up her mind and, in a serious tone, asked, "Since you awakened your Evil Martial Spirit, have you ever killed innocent civilians to cultivate your spirit power?"

"To date, whether civilians or Spirit Masters, I have not taken the life of a single human being."

Ling Bai hid his playful expression behind a serious face. Before enrolling in Shrek Academy, he had always lived in the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, so it wasn't his turn to kill people.

"Mm!"

Han Ruoruo immediately exhaled a sigh of relief. Ling Bai's words gave her an excuse to accept him. A look of reminiscence flashed in her eyes as she said:

"I still remember your question in the library: 'Elder Sister, if you awakened an Evil Martial Spirit, what would you do?' That day, my answer was that I would spend my entire life fighting against the Evil Martial Spirit, striving to be a person with a clean soul and a clear conscience.

Now I ask you the same question.

Little Junior Brother, since you have awakened an Evil Martial Spirit, can you fight against its evil power throughout your life and keep your soul pure?"

"Elder Sister, I have always been doing so." Ling Bai's brilliant golden eyes shone with sincerity. "I am fortunate to have descended into this world, so surely the heavens didn't send me here to destroy it. Since I choose to reject the path of corruption, I will adhere to my beliefs from beginning to end, never looking back."

"You must understand that throughout history, countless Evil Spirit Masters have emerged. Many of them initially did not want to become Evil Spirit Masters, but in the end, without exception..." Han Ruoruo sighed. "Corruption is the essence of Evil Spirit Masters. The academy has a vivid example—Ma Xiaotao, who is known as one of the Inner Courtyard's 'Active Volcanoes' along with Ming'er.

The Evil Fire Phoenix is merely the least threatening among Evil Martial Spirits' desire fires, yet even with Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year heritage and countless Heaven and Earth Treasures beneath the Sea God Pavilion, it remains helpless against it, causing her to frequently lose control when her evil fire flares up.

In my eyes, your Death Abyss Spider Emperor far surpasses the Evil Fire Phoenix in terms of evil. That cold brutality that seeps into the depths of the soul... I worry that one day you might fall and become a demon that slaughters all living beings."

"Doing what one knows cannot be done is my greatest sincerity toward the Douluo Continent."

Ling Bai's gaze grew resolute, and a sharp determination, as keen as the edge of a blade, rose within him. So what if it is the Death Abyss Spider Emperor? So what if it is the Rakshasa God? His inner pride would never allow him to succumb to evil. Moreover, Electrolux had provided a solution to completely resolve the Rakshasa's evil power, although the difficulty was ridiculously high, requiring 100,000-year Heaven and Earth Treasures of Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Light...

"Alright, I believe you, and I promise to keep this secret for you forever."

Hearing these words, Han Ruoruo suddenly smiled but quickly restrained herself and said firmly:

"Little Junior Brother, if there comes a day in the future when you are defeated by the evil thoughts of the Death Abyss Spider Emperor and plan to slaughter innocents, then the first person you must kill is me!"

"In this life, in this world, that day will never come."

"I also hope that day will never come!"

Han Ruoruo furrowed her delicate brows and muttered, "If that time comes and you kill me, a dozen or so Titled Douluo will join forces to scatter your ashes. Then, in the next life, you'll become a mouse, and I'll become a cat. I'll bite you to death the moment I see you!"

"Hahaha, Elder Sister, you hate me to the bone, don't you? You won't even let me off in the next life!"

Ling Bai was amused by Han Ruoruo.

"Of course!"

Han Ruoruo replied with a serious face, "If you massacre civilians, you're the murderer, and I become the accomplice for concealing it for you. We'll both be eternal sinners of the continent, nailed to the pillar of shame and spat upon. Biting you to death in the next life is letting you off lightly!"

"Alright, alright, I can't argue with Elder Sister!" Ling Bai raised three fingers. "I swear to G—to the heavens... mmph mmph mmph!"

Before he could finish half his sentence, a fair and soft hand covered his mouth. Han Ruoruo said with a smile:

"There's no need to swear. Do this with me."

Then she extended a playful little finger.

"Pinky promise. In the small town where Elder Sister was born, a pinky promise represents an unbreakable vow."

Though Ling Bai inwardly grumbled that there was something even more ridiculous than swearing, his body obediently stretched out his little finger. The two slender fingers hooked tightly together, and finally their thumbs lightly touched, leaving an imprint in the center of each other's fingers.

Sealed!

Having done all this, Han Ruoruo nodded with satisfaction. A pinky promise and an oath were essentially no different; it was just a way to put one's mind at ease. She then unceremoniously pulled Ling Bai to her side, and the next moment, Ling Bai was startled to find a soft pillow under his head.

Ling Bai's brain CPU instantly overheated, practically smoking. What pillow? This was the legendary lap pillow!

How to describe it...

It was the warm and comfortable experience that some single dogs might never have in their entire lives.

"Eh? Wait a minute!"

As intoxicating as Elder Sister's lap pillow was, one had to overlook the fact that she was quietly raising seven or eight different colored ointments and gleaming silver needles over the junior brother lying on her lap!

Oh boy! So it turned out to be a temptation to let him lower his guard!

Ling Bai made a preparatory posture to spring up like a carp, but Han Ruoruo's sharp eyes pressed him back down, shattering his 'last-ditch struggle.'

Facing that handsome face full of despair, Elder Sister's voice was gentle:

"You've been so badly injured; there's not a single piece of good flesh left on your body. Be good, Little Junior Brother. Elder Sister will help you stitch up and apply medicine."

"Elder Sister... please be gentle..."

…

Half an hour later, Ling Bai endured the burning pain that enveloped his entire body as he lay on Han Ruoruo's lap pillow, his expression twitching.

"Elder Sister, I suspect you're taking revenge on me."

"Hmm?"

Han Ruoruo frowned and pinched Ling Bai's exceptionally smooth cheek, making him grimace in pain.

"You call treating your wounds revenge?"

Since his face was at her mercy, Ling Bai had to mumble, "Elder Sister, have you heard of mummies?"

"What's that?" Han Ruoruo asked curiously.

"It's not important. You just need to remember that right now, I am a mummy."

Han Ruoruo realized that Ling Bai was indirectly mocking her!

Fine, she admitted that Ling Bai did look like a bandaged monster at this moment, but that was because his injuries were too severe. It definitely wasn't an issue with her bandaging!

Meanwhile, two figures were hiding behind a large tree, continuously peeking out. The jealousy in Wu Ming's eyes was almost palpable; she wished she could bite a white handkerchief and weep.

"Wuwuwu, I also want Sister Ruoruo's lap pillow!"

Perhaps her jealous voice was too loud and reached Han Ruoruo's ears. A big red cross-popping vein seemed to appear on her forehead as she turned around and shouted:

"Don't even think about it! Hurry up and get over here, you two!"

Wu Ming and Chu Qingtian shuffled over with embarrassed smiles. Chu Qingtian held a glittering golden longsword in his hand.

"You gave us quite a scare. We thought something had happened when you even left your Angel Sword behind!"

Returning the Angel Sword to its rightful owner, Chu Qingtian laughed heartily and tossed Ling Bai a look that seemed to say, 'Kid, you're really something!'

Ling Bai rolled his eyes in response. Indeed, fortune favors the fool; not knowing anything is truly a blessing!

Han Ruoruo succinctly explained to the two what had happened earlier. Of course, she omitted the details about the Death Abyss Spider Emperor and only said that Ling Bai had used a secret technique at the cost of injuring his body to save everyone. This prompted Wu Ming to declare on the spot that such a life-saving grace was beyond repayment; she could also offer her lap as a pillow!

Seeing Chu Qingtian clasp his hands together in prayer, Ling Bai decisively refused Wu Ming's kind offer. The world was truly declining—even the Inner Courtyard's 'Active Volcano' now had a secret admirer!

"Wait for me a moment; I'm going to absorb the spirit ring."

After all the commotion, Han Ruoruo nearly forgot about the 90,000-year spirit ring from the Azure Sky Lion Beast.

An hour passed, and she successfully obtained her eighth spirit ring. After failing to get any surprises from the spirit beast 'blind box,' the four began to withdraw from the Star Dou Forest.

Compared to when they entered the Star Dou Forest, their speed during departure was noticeably slower. There was no helping it—three out of four were injured. Ling Bai had severe injuries all over his body with a ruptured heart; Han Ruoruo's internal injuries had worsened after battling the Azure Sky Lion Beast, and Wu Ming suffered an abdominal wound. The only one in good condition was the comparatively weaker Chu Qingtian.

The dire situation led Chu Qingtian to voluntarily take on the task of scouting. Fortunately, the terrain of the Star Dou Forest was complex yet open, allowing the Berserk Lightning Leopard's speed advantage to be fully utilized. Moreover, Chu Qingtian seemed particularly enthusiastic about it. After all, protecting his secret crush made scouting quite an engaging endeavor!

Han Ruoruo quietly approached and held onto Ling Bai's wrist, supporting him as they continued forward. Ling Bai shook his head, but she insisted on taking care of him. As their bodies touched, the friction of their clothes against their skin allowed them to clearly feel each other's warmth under the sunlight.

As night fell, the four roughly reached the middle section of the Outer Region of the Star Dou Forest, and they would be able to return to Shrek Academy by tomorrow afternoon.

The Fifteen Ton Ant King had destroyed their tents, so after eating some hardtack, they decided to meditate while leaning against a towering ancient tree to recover their spirit power and physical strength. Everyone would take turns keeping watch for an hour.

"I'll go first."

Ling Bai leaped onto the big tree, his Spider Emperor Sense constantly probing the surroundings for any spirit beast attacks.

Under the tree, Wu Ming and Chu Qingtian quickly entered meditation, while Han Ruoruo raised her head to gaze at Ling Bai. He sat on a branch with one hand casually resting on his knee as he gazed into the distance. From Han Ruoruo's angle, she could just see his side profile—handsome and ethereal. At one moment, ripples appeared in her dark eyes, but they quickly returned to calmness.

Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Ling Bai.

He asked in puzzlement, "Why did Elder Sister come up?"

Under the moonlight, starlight-like glimmers scattered from the woman's eyes, her clear gaze gently rippling. "Your injuries are severe; let me keep watch."

"Then let's keep watch together and chat a bit. Elder Sister, tomorrow Qingtian and I are preparing to take on our first surveillance assignment as new students. Are there any precautions you can tell me about?"

"Mm."